Mumbai rapist spoke of ‘wrongs’ to mother | Mumbai news - Hindustan Times
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Mumbai rapist spoke of ‘wrongs’ to mother

Hindustan Times | By, Mumbai
Oct 17, 2018 01:05 AM IST

Rehan Qureshi, arrested for 2010 murders of 2 girls and multiple sexual assaults, hinted he would be caught

The accused in multiple cases of sexual assault and two cases of rape and murder, Rehan Qureshi, had hinted to his mother that he was doing “something wrong”.

Rehan Qureshi(HT)
Rehan Qureshi(HT)

According to Navi Mumbai Police, Qureshi, 34, told his mother, “Mein galat kar raha hoon aur pakda ja sakta hoon (I am doing wrong and may be caught).” However, the police do not believe his mother knew the extent of his criminal activity.

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Since last year, the Navi Mumbai crime branch has been investigating molestation and rape complaints that showed a similarity in their modus operandi. “When the cases start recurring, we believed that it was a serial crime as there were similarities,” said Tushar Doshi, deputy commissioner of police. “As the molestation cases came in, we took them seriously and scanned CCTV cameras in and around the areas where the crimes were committed. And we then devised a plan to nab the suspects,” said Doshi.

Police investigations revealed two suspects. One turned out to be Qureshi while the other, frequently seen wearing a red shirt, is yet to be arrested.

Before they were able to identify him, the Navi Mumbai police took Qureshi’s image from CCTV footage and circulated it. A cash prize of 25,000 was also declared. When no information or tip-off followed, the police started to scan footage from CCTVs at railway stations, such as those in Thane and Panvel. “The accused was seen travelling from Panvel railway station and while we were keeping a watch, similar cases were reported in Nallasopara on September 13 and 20 this year,” said Doshi. “We found him getting down at Mira Road railway station, and we realized that he might be staying there,” he said.

Teams were stationed in Mira Road and on September 26, Qureshi was arrested when he came out of his residence to have tea. While being questioned, Qureshi’s demeanour made the police more suspicious. “Rehan kept hiding details about his stay in the city and would develop cold feet when asked about his stay in Kurla,” said Doshi.

Forensic evidence would later connect Qureshi to the gruesome rape and murder of two girls that took place in 2010, in Nehru Nagar. The police also learnt that Qureshi lived in Kurla at the time. “The DNA samples collected in 2010 helped us and we could match Qureshi’s DNA,” said Doshi.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Pratik Salunke is a principal correspondent of Hindustan Times, Mumbai. He has spent a past decade covering crime and transport in cities of Mumbai and Pune. He has been covering terrorism, financial frauds and crime stories.

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